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“Of course you’ll get a trial,” Evan said, practically spitting the words out. “Do you think I’m a corrupt tyrant?”
I shook my head, not wanting to enrage him any further. “No, not at all. You must understand how I feel.”
“I don’t. I don’t know how you could conspire with the Spencers to kill our father. How you could plan the deaths of our family with the notion that you could take over as Prince of the City.”
“I didn’t,” I said, pleadingly. “Evan, you must believe me. I would never do such a thing. Never.”
“Spare me your protestations of innocence. Save it for the magister.”
Then, he turned and left, the guards closing the heavy steel door behind them, leaving me alone once more.
Calla
Chelsea and I were thrown unceremoniously into a cell a few doors down from where they were keeping Kier. The room had a tiny window in the upper corner admitting only a thin sliver of light, which shone on the far wall. The walls were thick and damp, and the floors smelled of wet earth. A bucket sat on the floor beside a cot with a stained mattress and a hard stone bench.
That was it.
“What now?” Chelsea asked as we sat together on the mattress.
“I have no idea,” I said. “Kier’s brother is supposed to decide what to do with us. Maybe he’ll pay Gerard to protect us while we’re here. Kier promised he would…”
We sat in silence for a moment, both of us lost in our own thoughts.
“Do you think they’ll let us go back?”
I shrugged, unsure of what Kier’s brother would decide.
Time passed and no one seemed interested in us. Several hours later, a guard opened the door and admitted a beautiful young woman inside. She wore a long black jacket and black slacks, and her dark hair was piled high on her head in a messy bun. She was a vampire, her skin white. She resembled Kier in her bone structure, but had dark eyes.
She glanced at us both, her eyes moving over us. “My brother wants to protect the two of you. He wants to send you back to your home and families.”
“He apologized to us both,” I said, defending him. I believed him that he was set up, and had been falsely accused of killing someone. “He never meant either of us to be harmed. He planned to wipe both our memories before he left, when his brother came to rescue him.”
She nodded. “Tell me what happened — from the beginning,” she said and motioned to us both to sit.
I did, recounting everything I could remember about Kier from the time I saw him in the flock of bats to the time the guards showed up. I even told her about him lying in bed with me but not touching me. Only taking a mouthful or two of my blood.
She sighed like this whole thing was a burden. “I’ll plead your case with my brother, the Prince, but you must know his heart is hardened against Kier. He believes that Kier arranged with an enemy to kill our father.”
I frowned, unable to believe that Kier would do that. “He never said anything bad about Evan or your father. He had no idea that your father was dead. He only wanted to get back to his family. He was sure that Evan would rescue him. He’s innocent,” I said, convinced of it. “I know he is.”
She nodded her head, her eyes softening. “I believe he is as well. I’ll do what I can to convince my brother to send you two back at least. I can’t promise anything else. Hopefully, you’ll wake up back in your home and remember nothing of any of this.”
I bit my tongue, wanting to protest, not wanting to forget Kier or any of what happened to Chelsea and me. I wanted to remember Kier.
“Can I see Kier before we go back?” I said, not wanting to leave without saying goodbye.
“As his pet, he has rights to remove your memories. You’ll see him once before you go — if I can convince my brother.”
“Thank you.”
She left us, the guards closing the door behind them and then Chelsea and I waited, wondering what our fate would be.
Hours later, two guards came and opened the doors, motioning to us to come with them.
We obeyed, walking between them down the hall to the cell where Kier was being imprisoned. The door to Kier’s cell was open and inside I saw the back of a tall man wearing dark clothing, jacket and slacks. His bearing was regal, and his hands were on his hips. When he turned, he had a scowl on his face.
Evan.
